Anguish
by Quicksilver
Summary: A sidestory to Fire's Ranma/SM xover "Destiny's Child". Doesn't make sense unless you've read the entire story. Features the Outer Senshi, but mentions Ranma.


Anguish

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Anguish   
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She stood, her henshin stick held up in her slender hand. She wanted, more then anything, to break down and weep. They had come so far, yet they were defeated by a mortal within their own home. Setsuna looked at Michiru and Haruka, and her own sadness seemed infantile.   
Michiru was curled up on the floor, and Setsuna cursed Tendo Ranma for the millionth time. If he had planned to torture the Outer Senshi, he certainly couldn't have thought of a better plan. It would have been kinder to rip out their heart crystals and stomp on them.   
"Michiru," Haruka said softly, breaking the silence that had been hanging tensely in the air between them.   
Michiru said nothing, but shifted her dead eyes towards her soul mate.   
"I wish I could hold you, beloved," the Uranus Senshi said wistfully. "Damn Tendo Ranma," she finished, voicing Setsuna's thoughts.   
"He's already damned us," Michiru replied bitterly. "How could he kill a child, let alone his sister?" she whispered.   
"He's sold his soul to darkness," Haruka said matter-of-factly. "We were blaming Mistress Nine and Saturn Knight for warping Hotaru-chan, but perhaps the corruption began younger... who else could have taught her the Dragon Slave?"   
"Let's not speak of the bastard," Michiru said, her unusual use of profanity showing how far she had fallen since her daughter had died.   
"Hai," Haruka replied.   
" But we should have thought of this earlier," Setsuna said, finally joining in the conversation. Anything to avoid thinking about how uncomfortable she was from holding the same position for five hours. Her mind began to click into motion, using the wisdom she had acquired over centuries to come to an unsettling conclusion. "We never learned who Saturn Knight was... could it be possible that Saturn Knight was really Tendo Ranma?" she asked.   
The other two Outers' jaws dropped. "It would fit," Haruka murmured. "After all, Hotaru never said she and Ranma were brother and sisters... what better way for Saturn Knight to watch over his beloved then to pretend to be her relative? At least until she matured."   
"But Saturn Knight died battling Mistress Nine!" Michiru protested, finally showing a little bit of life.   
"Are we sure? Haven't you learned not to take anything at face value yet?" Haruka retorted, fire in her eyes.   
"Please, Haruka," Michiru begged, "I don't want to die with you angry at me. Let's assume that Saturn Knight was really Tendo Ranma. Why would he... kill Hotaru-chan?" she managed to get out, only choking up once.   
"Saturn Knight was psychotic," Setsuna reminded her comrades-at-arms. "Perhaps finding Hotaru-chan being raised by a decent family made him jealous. Perhaps he thought that if he couldn't have Sailor Saturn, no one could."   
A single tear fell to the floor, and Michiru looked at Haruka. "Don't cry, Haruka," she said. "We'll be with Hotaru-chan soon," she promised.   
The toughest of the Senshi looked at her beloved. "I know. I want to go there, so I cry because I'm weak. We're abandoning the Princess. Can we really leave her?"   
"We don't have a choice in the matter- Ranma designed his trap very well indeed," Michiru said. Then the traces of life that had animated her for a those few moments fled. "I love you, Haruka," she said.   
"I love you, too, my Michiru," Haruka replied solemnly.   
In her entire existence, Setsuna had never truly hated anyone more then she'd hated Tendo Ranma at that moment. Killing them would be a horrible crime, but to torment Haruka and Michiru so was the worst anyone could do. First he killed a poor, defensively child, then he separated them to die a horrible death without being able to comfort each other. The human touch was a wonderful thing, and to be deny it was to spit in the face of everything humanity stood for.   
Then the door swung inwards, and they all waited with baited breath- could it be help? Hotaru walked in, and they reacted, their urge to protect their child outweighing their joy.   
"No! Hotaru! Run!"   
"Quick, get away from here as fast as you can!"   
"Don't worry about us! You have to save yourself!"   


  


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